William b



(No Model.)

W. R. HEATH.

PORTABLE ROOF FOR HAY AND GRAIN RIGKS.

Patented May 19, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. HEATH, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

PORTABLE ROOF FOR HAY AND GRAIN RICKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,248, dated May 19, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sedalia, in the county of Pettis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Roofs for Hay and Grain Ricks, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a metal strap and link employed in constructing my improved portable roof for hay and grain ricks; Fig. 2, a perspective view of my improved portable roof for hay and grain ricks, and Fig. 3 a sectional view showing the roof as applied to a hay or grain rick.

The object of my invention is the production of a cheap and effective portable roof for ricks of hay or straw which may readily be placed in position upon such ricks, be taken down with facility when necessary, and conveniently transported from place to place.

In the figures, A indicates ordinary plank or boards of any desired width, and of length suitable to extend entirely across a hay or grain rick of the usual size as stacked in the field.

B are metal straps terminating in hooks c c at either end, as shown, and firmly secured across the outer surface of the plank. Two of these straps are applied to each plank, and with their upper terminating hooked ends, 0, about two inches from the upper, edge of the plank,while the lower hook, c, is made to set flush or even with the lower edge of the plank, thereby allowing a lower plank to be overlapped by an adjoining upper one, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, when the roof is in position upon a rick.

The boards or plank in this overlapped condition, as shown, are securely held together by a link, d, simply passed over the hooks c and c of adjacent straps B.

For all practical purposes sheet-iron can be 'used for making the straps andlinks, and thus reduce expense.

As shown in Fig. 2, the boards which constitute the peak of the roof may have the metal straps of a length equalto the full width of the plank, and thus the link, as at 11, will hold the two planks with a portion of the under surface of onelapping on the longitudinal edge of the other, thus making a properlyfinished joint for the apex of the roof.

On the under side of each plank I apply a batten, E, as shown, the battens being about two inches shorter than the width of the plank and thus when the roof is being put together the upper edge of each plank below the plankboards A f and A f is made to abut against the lower end of the batten on the adjoining plank above, and thus the battens serve not only to prevent the plank from warping, but actas a guide for readily adjusting the plank in overlapped juxtaposition during the act of putting the roof together.

Either two or more rows of straps B may be used upon one roof; but two are sufficient ordinarily for the plank for one roof.

As shown in Fig. 3, ropes g g may be passed over the hooks c of the lowermost straps, and thereby, with the aid of weights 9, the roof may be held in place upon the rick R against wind and storm.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of planks A, straps B, and links d, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A portable roof for hay and grain ricks, which comprises in its construction planks A, provided with straps B, and links (1 on their outer surface, and battens E on their inner surface, which are of less length than the width of the planks to which they are ap plied, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM R. HEATH.

YVitnesses:

J. BENRATH, JAMES A. SMITH. 

